Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-tj2md Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T01:55:27.269Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Impaired alveolar-arterial oxygen transfer is associated with reduced milk yield in primiparous post-partum dairy heifers at moderate altitude

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 September 2014

Joseph M Neary  and
Franklyn B Garry
Joseph M Neary*
Affiliation:
Integrated Livestock Management, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, 1678 Campus Delivery, Colorado 80523-1678, USA
Franklyn B Garry
Affiliation:
Integrated Livestock Management, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, 1678 Campus Delivery, Colorado 80523-1678, USA
*
*For correspondence; e-mail: nearyjoem@yahoo.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Domestic cattle have limited cardiopulmonary reserve for their body size and oxygen requirements. Therefore, it is plausible that impaired alveolar-arterial gas exchange may be detrimental to energetically expensive traits such as milk production which, like all aerobic processes, requires oxygen. The degree of alveolar-arterial oxygen transfer impairment can be determined by estimating the alveolar-arterial oxygen (A-a O2) pressure gradient from arterial blood-gas tensions. The degree of oxygen transfer impairment is proportional to the A-a O2 pressure gradient: the higher the A-a O2 pressure gradient the less oxygen is transferred to the blood for a given ventilation rate. In this study two cohorts of Holstein-Friesian heifers were followed on one northern Colorado dairy farm. Arterial blood-gas analyses were performed up to 9 d post-calving. Heifers were grouped into quartiles based on A-a O2 pressure gradient so that relative comparisons could be made. Heifers in the lowest (Q1) and highest (Q4) quartile had the least and greatest impairment of alveolar-arterial oxygen transfer, respectively. We hypothesised that milk yield over 60 d would be greatest for heifers in Q1 and would decrease with quartile increments. Hyperventilation, as indicated by hypocapnia, was notable. Despite hypoxia, haematocrit was low. Alveolar-arterial O2 pressure gradient was associated with milk production (P=0·03) when controlling for cohort, treatment for disease and calving difficulty score. Heifers in Q1 produced 1992 kg (95% CI=1858, 2127 kg) of milk when controlling for all other variables. Relative to heifers in Q1, heifers in Q2, Q3 and Q4 produced 130 kg (95% CI=313, −52 kg; P=0·45), 285 kg (95% CI=474, 96 kg; P=0·004) and 169 kg (95% CI=395, −57 kg; P=0.14) less milk, respectively. In conclusion, efficacy of alveolar-arterial oxygen transfer was associated with milk yield in dairy heifers on one farm at moderate altitude.

Keywords

Alveolar-arterial oxygen pressure gradienthealthheifersmilk production
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 81 , Issue 4 , November 2014 , pp. 434 - 439
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bach, JF 2008 Hypoxemia: a quick reference. Veterinary Clinics of North America. Small Animal Practice 38 423–426 Google Scholar
Blaxter, KL & Wainman, FW 1966 The fasting metabolism of cattle. British Journal of Nutrition 20 103–111 Google Scholar
Calbet, JA & Lundby, C 2009 Air to muscle O2 delivery during exercise at altitude. High Altitude Medicine and Biology 10 123–134 Google Scholar
CLSI 2001 CLSI document C46- A. Blood Gas and pH Analysis and Related Measurements; Approved Guideline. CLSI, 940 West Valley Road, Suite 1400, Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087–1898 USA: http://isoforlab.com/phocadownload/csli/C46-A.pdf (Accessed 20 September 2013)Google Scholar
Coast, JR, Rasmussen, SA, Krause, KM, O'Kroy, JA, Loy, RA & Rhodes, J 1993 Ventilatory work and oxygen consumption during exercise and hyperventilation. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md.: 1985) 74 793–798 Google Scholar
Cobo-Abreu, R, Martin, SW, Willoughby, RA & Stone, JB 1979 The association between disease, production and culling in a university dairy herd. Canadian Veterinary Journal 20 191–195 Google Scholar
Collie, DDS 1991 Blood-gas and acid-base values in calves, sampled from the brachial and coccygeal arteries. British Veterinary Journal 147 232–237 Google Scholar
Crowley, JW & Niedermeier, RP 1981 Dairy production 1955 to 2006. Journal of Dairy Science 64 971–974 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gallivan, GJ, McDonell, WN & Forrest, JB 1989 Comparative ventilation and gas exchange in the horse and the cow. Research in Veterinary Science 46 331–336 Google Scholar
Gallivan, GJ, Viel, L, Baird, JD & McDonell, WN 1991 Pulmonary structure and function in adult dairy cows with an expanded lung field. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research 55 15–20 Google ScholarPubMed
Green, LE, Hedges, VJ, Schukken, YH, Blowey, RW & Packington, AJ 2002 The impact of clinical lameness on the milk yield of dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 85 2250–2256 Google Scholar
Hayashi, N, Ishihara, M, Tanaka, A & Yoshida, T 1999 Impeding O2 unloading in muscle delays oxygen uptake response to exercise onset in humans. American Journal of Physiology 277 R1274–R1281 Google Scholar
Houghton, FL 1897 Holstein-Friesian Cattle. A History of the Breed and its Development in America. A Complete List of all Private and Authenticated Milk and Butter Yields; Methods of Breeding, Handling, Feeding and Showing. Brattleboro, Vt.: Press of the Holstein-Friesian Register Google Scholar
Hutchison, AS, Ralston, SH, Dryburgh, FJ, Small, M & Fogelman, I 1983 Too much heparin - possible source of error in blood-gas analysis. British Medical Journal 287 1131–1132 Google Scholar
Jenkins, TG, Ferrell, CL & Cundiff, LV 1986 Relationship of components of the body among mature cows as related to size, lactation potential and possible effects on productivity. Animal Science 43 245–254 Google Scholar
Kainer, RA & Will, DA 1981 Morphophysiologic bases for the predisposition of the bovine lung to bronchial pneumonia. Progress in Clinical and Biological Research 59B 311–317 Google Scholar
Lekeux, P 1993 Pulmonary Function in Healthy, Exercising and Diseased Animals. Ghent, Belgium: University of Ghent Google Scholar
Lekeux, P, Verhoeff, J, Hajer, R & Breukink, HJ 1985 Respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia in Friesian calves: physiological findings. Research in Veterinary Science 39 324–327 Google Scholar
McLellan, SA & Walsh, TS 2004 Oxygen delivery and haemoglobin. Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain 4 123–126 Google Scholar
Nagy, O, Kovac, G, Seidel, H & Paulikova, I 2002 Selection of arteries for blood sampling and evaluation of blood gases and acid-base balance in cattle. Acta veterinaria 71 289–296 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
NASS 2013 Cattle (February 2013). National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)Google Scholar
Neary, JM, Garry, FB, Holt, TN, Knight, AP, Gould, DH & Dargatz, DA 2013 Pulmonary arterial pressures, arterial blood-gas tensions and serum biochemistry of beef calves born and raised at high altitude. Open Access Journal of Animal Physiology 5 1–8 Google Scholar
NRC 2001 Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle, 7th rev. edition. Washington, DC: National Academy Press Google Scholar
O'Kelly, JC 1985 Influence of dietary fat on some metabolic responses of cattle to fasting. Research in Veterinary Science 39 254–256 Google Scholar
Olson, NC & Brown, TT Jr 1985 Effects of endotoxemia on lung water and hemodynamics in conscious calves. American Journal of Veterinary Research 46 711–718 Google Scholar
Ostermann, C, Schroedl, W, Schubert, E, Sachse, K & Reinhold, P 2013 Dose-dependent effects of Chlamydia psittaci infection on pulmonary gas exchange, innate immunity and acute-phase reaction in a bovine respiratory model. Veterinary Journal (London, England: 1997) 196 351–359 Google Scholar
Patton, J, Kenny, DA, Mee, JF, O'Mara, FP, Wathes, DC, Cook, M & Murphy, JJ 2006 Effect of milking frequency and diet on milk production, energy balance, and reproduction in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 89 1478–1487 Google Scholar
Prosser, CG, Davis, SR, Farr, VC & Lacasse, P 1996 Regulation of blood flow in the mammary microvasculature. Journal of Dairy Science 79 1184–1197 Google Scholar
Slocombe, RF, Derksen, FJ & Robinson, NE 1989 Comparison of pathophysiologic changes in the lungs of calves challenge exposed with Escherichia coli-derived endotoxin and Pasteurella haemolytica, alone or in combination. American Journal of Veterinary Research 50 701–707 Google ScholarPubMed
USDA 2007 Part I: Reference of Dairy Cattle Health and Management Practices in the United States, 2007. Fort Collins, CO, USA: USDA-APHIS-VS, CEAH Google Scholar
USDA 2008 Dairy 2007, Part II: Changes in the U.S. Dairy Cattle Industry, 1991–2007. Fort Collins, CO, USA: USDA-APHIS-VS, CEAH.Google Scholar
USDA 2013 USDA Agricultural Projections to 2022. Office of the Chief Economist, World Agricultural Outlook Board, U.S. Department of AgricultureGoogle Scholar
Veit, HP & Farrell, RL 1978 Anatomy and physiology of bovine respiratory system relating to pulmonary disease. Cornell Veterinarian 68 555–581 Google ScholarPubMed
Wagner, PD, Gale, GE, Moon, RE, Torre-Bueno, JR, Stolp, BW & Saltzman, HA 1986 Pulmonary gas exchange in humans exercising at sea level and simulated altitude. Journal of Applied Physiology 61 260–270 Google Scholar
West, JW 2003 Effects of heat-stress on production in dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 86 2131–2144 Google Scholar
Will, DH, Alexander, AF, Reeves, JT & Grover, RF 1962 High altitude-induced pulmonary hypertension in normal cattle. Circulation Research 10 172–177 Google Scholar